Little Girls Lost
by Kitsune Moonstar
Summary: In an universe where Ashley Hammond was once Astra of KO-35, things play out with some similarities and some differences.


Author's Note: I do not own Power Rangers in Space or its characters. This is slightly AU.

* * *

><p><strong> Little Girls Lost<strong>

The telekinesis ball whirled back and forth between the four laughing children. The adults watching smiled at the sight. Those four would be a large part of their future. But right now they were oblivious to anything except their game.

"They're a bright future for us," Kinwon smiled.

"We'll see," his daughter-in-law replied. "But that means you can't spoil Zhane too badly."

"Maia, dearest, that's what grandfathers are for."

Raisa linked arms with Maia. "I just want them to be happy. Andros and Karone both deserve a childhood, even if they will be our rangers."

The colony administrator smiled at the young mother. "We will do our best to ensure that, Raisa. To train them in ways that are a game to them at this point, but there will be a day when they must take their place in the colony."

Another woman joined them. "Thanks for watching Astra for me. Are the children still playing?"

Raisa just laughed. "It's no problem, Twyla. I know you have your hands full at the moment."

Twyla sighed. "I'll be glad when this set of supply runs are over. Has Astra been behaving?"

"She's a good influence on Karone. I haven't had to rescue Andros and Karone from a disaster since Astra arrived." Raisa grinned. "Though Karone is now insisting that Andros has to marry Astra so she can have Astra for a real sister."

That prompted laughter from everyone. Kinwon just shook his head. The colony definitely had a bright future ahead with these children involved.

* * *

><p>Astra fiddled with her necklace as she scanned the park. Her class was supposed to be spending the afternoon collecting samples of native plants, but nobody wanted to be her partner. Then again, nobody had wanted to be her partner since Karone had disappeared. It wasn't her fault that her best friend had gotten kidnapped, but that didn't matter to most of the other kids in their school. She bit her lip when she spotted Zhane and Andros already working on the assignment. Maybe they would let her help.<p>

She approached them slowly and waited until Andros had noticed her before saying anything.

"Hey, Astra." Andros tucked a plant in one of the sample bags. "Can I help you?"

"Um, can I work with you two?"

Andros shared a look with Zhane. Then the blond boy held out the paper that had their assignment on it to her.

"Sure, Astra. You can mark stuff off the list."

The three of them set to work on the assignment. Zhane and Andros were the only ones her age that didn't treat her any different since Karone had been kidnapped. Of course, they were the ones who missed Karone the most besides herself. And since Andros was going to be the Red Ranger, most of the other kids left her alone when she was with him. Astra made a face as she checked off another plant on the list. Things had changed on KO-35 since Karone had been kidnapped.

People had become a little more wary, and unfortunately, it hadn't been the only sign of trouble. Plus, Astra's mom had been gone more. Her mom was one of the colony's best navigators, and Astra could understand why she needed to leave, but she missed her anyway. Andros and Zhane had changed as well. They still let her play with them, but Andros was more serious than before and he didn't smile as much. Zhane was just a little more protective. Oddly enough he was overprotective of both Andros and herself at times. She sighed.

Andros turned to look at her. "Are you all right, Astra?"

She shrugged. "I guess."

He reached out to give her a one armed hug. "I miss her too, Astra. Don't give up hope. We'll find her one day. I promise."

* * *

><p>Andros watched Astra fiddle with her necklace. It was a common sign that she was nervous. He didn't really blame her. She had never left KO-35 before. Andros had, mostly because he was going to be the Red Ranger, but most of the other kids in the colony hadn't. But Astra's mom wanted to take Astra with her on the next supply run, so Astra was going. Andros could understand why Astra's mom was so insistent. While there hadn't been another child snatched since Karone, everyone was a little paranoid about that sort of things, and lately there had been a number of troubling reports.<p>

But he would miss Astra. Other than Zhane, Astra was probably Andros' closest friend. And they would be teammates when it came time the KO-35's Ranger team to form. He reached for her hand.

"Hey. It'll be all right. You'll be home in no time, and can tell us about your trip."

Astra offered him a half smile. "Thanks, Andros."

Then she bit her lip before leaning in to kiss his cheek. "I'll miss you."

He squeezed her hand again.

"Astra, time to go," Twyla called from the shuttle door.

Astra squeezed his hand back then let go. She waved at him before disappearing inside of the shuttle. Andros watched as the shuttle lifted off and head out into space. It would be two months before they were scheduled to return.

* * *

><p>Astra coughed, confused and not sure where she was. Her head hurt. The last thing she remembered was her mom telling her to strap in. They must have crashed somewhere. Something was one fire. The smoke was making her cough. Astra worked at the straps holding her in her seat. Fires on space shuttles were bad. She needed to get out. Her mother had drilled her time and time again on what to do in case of an emergency.<p>

Her fingers finally fumbled the straps free, and Astra let out a hiss of pain as she tried to get to her feet. Her left leg hurt. It was almost like the time she'd broken her arm climbing trees with Karone. She bit her lip and kept moving. But it was hard to walk, and Astra couldn't see well. She tripped over something and fell.

"You check that side for any survivors," she heard someone say.

Astra coughed again. "Over here! Help. I'm over here."

A man with mask appeared and pair of hands grabbed. He scooped Astra up and carried her out. Astra buried her face against his shoulder. She didn't want to see how bad the crash had been. Once they were away from the shuttle, the man carried her over to a large red vehicle and pulled off his mask.

"What's your name, sweetheart?"

"Astra. Is my mom all right?"

"Astra what?" He hadn't answered her question.

She frowned. "Just Astra. My mom?"

The man sighed. "We haven't found her yet. You're going to the hospital right now though. We'll let you know when we find her."

She didn't like that at all, but it appeared she had no choice. The man handed her over to some other strangers, and Astra wasn't able to see anything as they drove away.

* * *

><p>As their shuttle blasted off, Ashley Hammond was afraid to hope. She hadn't told the others that she was hoping to find more than just Zordon in space. She was hoping to find out what had happened to her first home. She might have been Ashley Hammond of Earth since her mom had died and she'd been adopted by the Hammonds seven years ago, but that wasn't all of who she was. While she might have become as much as an Earthling as her friends, she had also never forgotten that she had once been Astra of KO-35. Ashley wanted to know what had happened Andros and Zhane. She wanted to know if Karone had been found. And maybe, just maybe this was her opportunity to do so.<p>

She did feel a little guilty about not telling her friends about her past, but she couldn't seem to bring herself to do so. Her past on KO-35 had been something she'd kept a secret for so long, and it was hard to let go of that. She had never even tried to tell anyone about it after the first two failed attempts with her adopted family. While Astra knew that the Power Rangers were more likely than most people to believe her, she still hadn't been able to tell them. It was odd being in space again. The last time she'd been out here it had been just before her mom's shuttle crashed.

So Ashley was both scared and excited. But that was nothing compared to when the ship came into sight. She knew a Karovan ship when she saw one. Her heart leaps into her throat when it begins drawing their shuttle in. But it's the words "Astro Megaship" that really make her hope. The ship belonged to KO-35's Ranger team. That meant Andros would be here, and probably Zhane as well. She didn't know who else had ended up on the team, but at least she knew Andros would be here. The fact that this was a piece of home overwhelmed Astra. She felt giddy as she examined the ship, especially when they reached the bridge.

But when the Red Ranger appears, she freezes. Ashley can't help it. She knows it should be Andros. Her best friend's brother, her friend and teammate, her first crush. But what if it isn't. She can't tell since he's morphed, and she's afraid to try telepathy. It was Karone who she could reliably hear, not Andros, and Astra hasn't practiced in years. It's T.J. who breaks her out of her thoughts when he takes off after the Red Ranger, and Ashley uses what she remembers to lead them in the right direction to follow him. When he attacks them though, she realizes that they must have panicked him, and it worries her about what might have happened in the years she's been gone.

And now she's finds herself trapped. She can't tell the others what she knows and what she guesses. There isn't time for the explanations. Ashley doesn't know if its Andros, and she's afraid that even if it is, telling him who she is might not help them any. Fixing the engine seemed to help though. She didn't know who Astronema was, but since she was attacking it couldn't be good. And neither were those silver things waiting for then outside. They could wait for real introductions until after they were safe.

* * *

><p>Andros doesn't really get a good look at the Rangers from Earth until after the battle with the Quantrons is over. Glimpses, yes, but he's not willing to trust those. According to his glimpses after all, one of the girls looks familiar, and that's impossible. He's never been to Earth, and everything he knows about the planet tells him that most Earthlings never leave it. He focuses on their Red Ranger since he would be the leader, but he can't help noticing the girl in black and yellow keeps staring at him. The guy in the green shirt makes a comment about him being human.<p>

"Earth's not the only place human's live," Andros retorts. "I'm from a space colony, KO-35. It's in the Karova system."

The one girl's eyes almost glow at that, but she bites her lip, and her fingers come up to play with her necklace. Andros is distracted by the others.

"Then you're from outer space?"

"Incredible."

Finally, the one in pink steps forward. "Well, hey. I'm Cassie. It's really nice to meet you. And this is Ashley."

The other girl steps forward, shaking her head. "No, I'm not. Andros, I'm Astra."

Part of him realizes that the others are staring at them, but he can't tear his eyes away from her face. She's older, but those are Astra's eyes, and she bites her lip and fiddles with her necklace just like Astra always did.

_*Astra?*_

Her eyes are wide, but he still hears her telepathic response.

_*Andros.*_

His arms lock around her in a hug. Andros can't help it. He had found one of them at least. Besides, she's hugging him just as tight.

* * *

><p>Astra buries her face against Andros' shoulder and fights back tears. He hugs her tightly before pushing her away slightly. Andros smiles at her and wipes her tears away his thumb.<p>

"Hey. It's okay, Astra."

T.J. cleared his throat. "I don't mean to be rude, but what's going on? Ash, how do you know him? And what's this about not being Ashley?"

She bit her lip. This was going to be awkward. Andros slung an arm around her shoulders.

"Let's go back on the Megaship. I need to check with DECA about repairs, and then we can figure out the whole story."

The others agreed, and that was how they ended up in what Andros referred to as the Jump Bay. Andros fiddled with the synthatron for a moment before producing several mugs of a drink. Ashley recognized it as chavra, a Karovan drink a little like hot chocolate. With a soft sigh, she took a sip and searched for a place to begin.

"I was born on KO-35. My parents named me Astra. Andros' twin sister, Karone, was my best friend. My mom was a navigator and pilot for the colony. When I was ten, she insisted on taking me along with her on one of the supply runs. Karone had been kidnapped a few years earlier, and everyone was a little bit edgy." Ashley took another sip of her drink. "We were attack, and Mom managed a crash landing on Earth. She didn't survive, but the firemen got me out of the shuttle. The Hammonds adopted me about a month later. I've been Ashley Hammond since."

There was silence for several moments, and then Cassie reached out and squeezed her hand.

"Hey. Thanks for telling us."

Carlos grinned. "I can see why you waited until now. I mean, we might be Power Rangers, but some things are just hard to believe."

"I just find it interesting that even thousands of light-years from home you still ended up on a Ranger team," Andros said.

T.J. blinked. "Ash was supposed to be on your Ranger team?"

Andros nodded. "Our Yellow Ranger. At least, that's what she would have ended up. When they were little, Karone always said if she got the yellow morpher, she'd trade it with Astra since it was her favorite color."

Cassie grinned. "Well, she's our Yellow Ranger now. Maybe it was fate."

T.J. sighed. "If only we could still morph."

Andros bites his lip, and Astra feels his soft mental prod.

_*Do you trust them?*_

_ *With my life*_

_ *All right then.*_

She doesn't quite know what to say when he leaves the room and then comes back with the Astro Morphers for them. Astra knows what it means on a number of levels, and while she wants to know why he's out here alone without a team or even Zhane, she can't help but feel grateful that the morphers are available for them to use. She catches the smile on his face as she straps her morpher on her wrist, and Ashley can't help but think that things are finally looking for up them.

* * *

><p>Andros had to admit that it wasn't easy having a Ranger Team. He wasn't used to being around people anymore, and quite frankly, he felt rather out of place with the Earth Rangers. Astra did her best to bridge the gap, but he really didn't want to put her in the middle of things. They were her friends too after all, and she shouldn't have to choose between her new friends and her older ones. And she was doing her best to help him understand and fit in on Earth.<p>

The one drawback to having Astra back was that it did remind him of how much he missed Zhane. She had seemed to realize that it was a touchy subject for him given that she hadn't brought it up. Much like Karone, Zhane was a subject the two Karovans didn't talk about. But it was good to have Astra back, and Andros found that he wasn't entirely sure how to act around her. They weren't little children any more, but they also weren't just friends. It seemed rather ironic. Karone had always claimed she wanted Astra and Andros to end up in a romantic relationship, and now all these years later, Andros finally found himself agreeing with his little sister.

When Cassie had explained to him about the birthday party the rangers were planning for Astra, Andros had found himself searching for a pendant he'd bought a number of years ago. It had reminded him of Astra at the time, and it would match the necklace she typically wore. He didn't know if it was technically an appropriate birthday present, but he figured he could pass that off as being a clueless alien. They didn't celebrate birthdays on KO-35 after all.

She had liked her present. Astra had hugged him and then insisted he help her put the necklace on. Then she'd kissed his cheek and beamed at him. That moment was forever etched in his mind. And it felt rather good that with the hassle of Astronema switching bodies with Astra, it was his gift to her that had made the difference in the end. Still, they were in a sort of limbo with their relationship. They weren't just childhood friends, but they weren't really officially anything more. But things with the team had gotten smoother, and Andros was feeling more at home with his team. And then Zhane woke up.

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><p>Zhane had been something Ashley had been uncomfortable asking about. Part of it was the fact that she was still figuring out her relationship with Andros now versus when they had been children. Another part of it was that she didn't want to hurt him by bringing up the subject, and she knew that if something bad had happened to Zhane, it would. And something must have happen because Zhane and Andros have always been almost inseparable. She also hadn't mentioned Zhane to the others. He wasn't something they needed to know about.<p>

Accidentally finding Zhane had been, well, unnerving. Mostly for the other rangers. Especially since they didn't know who Zhane was or why he would be on the Astro Megaship. Astra had been rather heartbroken for Andros. Zhane must have been very badly hurt for him to need to go into stasis. The others wanted to know why Andros hadn't told them, but he'd had been saved from having to make an explanation by DECA. She had figured it out though. Andros had lost Karone, herself, and Zhane. He'd been by himself for around two years. He might be getting used to having the rest of them around now, but there were a lot of things about teamwork that they took for granted.

Zhane's sudden appearance in the fight had been a welcome one. His help was definitely welcome. They managed to get through fight without too much awkwardness, and Ashley didn't think it would take too long before Zhane was considered one of them. She couldn't help but notice they way Zhane had stared at her during the introductions. She shot him a smile.

"I'm Astra."

His eyes went wide. "Astra? Our Astra?"

Andros nodded. "Yes. She's our Astra."

Ashley found herself enveloped in a hug. She just laughed and hugged Zhane back. The blond man grinned at Andros.

"Didn't I tell you we'd find them?"

* * *

><p>"So why aren't you and Astra dating yet?"<p>

Andros glanced over at his best friend. Zhane just gazed back. Andros shrugged.

"I'm not entirely sure she feels the same way."

"Have you even bothered to ask her out yet?"

"We've been busy."

Zhane just shook his head. "Astra is a great person. If you wait too long, someone else is going to snap her up. Besides, at this point, all we can really do is wait until Astronema makes her next move. We don't have any leads on Zordon, and we've finished all the repairs to the Megaship."

It was obvious to him that Astra felt just as strongly about Andros as Andros did about Astra. They were rather cute, but the gridlock was beginning to drive Zhane crazy. Besides, Andros deserved to be happy, and Astra definitely made his friend smile more than anyone else. Zhane found it both astonishing and amazing that Andros had found Astra. He had never really doubted that they would find Karone and Astra, but it still astonished him a little that not only had they found Astra, but she was still Andros' perfect compliment. Karone had been right when she insisted that Andros and Astra had to get married some day.

The one bad thing about having Astra around was it did remind Zhane that they hadn't found Karone yet. They would. He knew they would, but sometimes it was hard to hold onto than instead of the fact that she was gone, Karone was still lost out there somewhere. Especially once Andros got his act together and really started dating Astra. He was happy for his friend, but he was also a little lost and lonely too. That might be how he managed to get distracted by Astronema.

Well, distracted might not be the best word. Zhane had been genuinely attracted to her and interested in her. There was a playfulness to her that did remind him a little of Karone, and there was something about her that made him want to just cuddle her. Princess of Evil she might be, but Zhane doubted she'd experienced much love and affection in her life, and that was a shame. He rather thought she could have turned out to be a lovely person. Maybe she still could if she turned away from evil. But Zhane also knew it was a relationship that didn't have much of a chance at the moment. So it ended, but Zhane had to admit he would miss her.

* * *

><p>Astra had been shocked when she realized their captors were Karovan. It was probably a good thing that she was in shock because otherwise she probably would have been in tears. Meeting Andros and Zhane again after all these years had been one thing, but suddenly being surrounded by people who looked vaguely familiar, but she didn't quite know was another thing all together. And she hadn't been quick enough to use that fact to their advantage. She rather doubted anyone would believe that she was Karovan right now, and the only people her telepathy had ever worked with before were Andros and Karone. It would not be good to make this situation worse right now when they were already under so much suspicion. So that left her with only one option.<p>

_*Andros? We have a problem. The rest of us got captured. There is a colony of very paranoid Karovans here.*_

_ *All right. Zhane and I are on our way. Let me know if something happens before then.*_

Ashley smiled. There were benefits to having selective telepathy. Hopefully, Andros could get this mess straightened out. She did not like being locked up, especially by her own people. And she was worried. What had been happening here? What was doing this to her people? She did not understand why someone would be doing this. It did not seem to serve much purpose in the grand scheme of things. The Karovans really were not a threat to Dark Spectre in a serious way. They might resist, but they could not win on their own, and most of their energy was spent on just surviving here. It hurt her to see her people hurting like this.

Thankfully, things did get sorted out. Of course, things got worse before they got better, but really, that was the life of a power ranger. And Ashley had to admit that it was good to know that her people were still surviving and fighting. Earth might be her home, but the Karovans were still her people too. Though she did have to admit that she was a little surprised when Zhane announced that he wanted to stay here. Then again, these faces were probably more familiar to him than those on Earth. Besides, it wasn't like they would never see him again. He'd still be able to help them out in battles if they needed him, and it would be good for Zhane to reconnect with his fellow colonists. He remembered them more than she did.

So they parted ways once again, though this time it was by choice and only temporarily.

* * *

><p>The locket was clear proof of who Astronema was. It had thrown Andros' life into utter confusion, but he wouldn't deny what it meant. He didn't know how Dark Spectre had managed to turn Karone into Astronema, but he wanted his sister back. And he was immensely thankful for Astra. She understood in a way the other Rangers didn't. When Astronema offered to take them to Zordon, Astra had been tentatively in favor of the idea, even if she had her own worries and concerns about it. But it had proved to be the right choice.<p>

He had his sister back. Karone was back in his life, and she wasn't evil anymore. His team was beginning to accept her. Andros couldn't remember being this happy in years. He'd contacted Zhane as soon as they had finished the aborted mission to rescue Zordon was over. By the time that Astra and Cassie had produced Karone's new uniform, Zhane had arrived. And it was only after Zhane had engulfed Karone in a warm hug that Andros felt his older brother instincts prickle. But then Ashley had joined the hug and dragged Andros with her. He had to admit that the group hug was wonderful. Zhane had always said they would find their lost girls, and they had found them.

Andros smiled. He had found both of the girls who he'd lost. At this point, he knew they'd be able to beat Dark Spectre. Nothing was impossible.


End file.
